A few years ago, my Stake President, Andrew Egbert, told me that Heavenly Father wanted me to go back to school . . . so I accepted the new calling, purchased the necessary electronics, lap top, Palm phone etc. and started learning the interworkings as the Stake Clerk.  

Four or so years later, feeling fairly confident, I came to Uganda with a much clearer vision of computers and knowledge of the various programs I would run into here . . . . . . . . ya right!

Going into our third month, I am still trying to download MLS and make baptism entries.   I can’t begin to tell you the frustrations I have had with this “simple” task, nor can I remember how many times we, (Bro. Monday our Branch Clerk and myself) have re-installed, re-entered information etc. just to lose it all with unusual problems, not to mention our daily power outages. 

Today was no different.  After spending the morning re-installing and re-entering everything, we lost it once again.   Our church is on the 4^th floor, and clearly frustrated, I wanted to toss the computer out the window . . . even thought of calling our area programmer with a few choice words.  Instead, realizing we couldn't do anything else, I told Bro. Monday I would take him back to his work.  

As we were driving up a pot-holed filled road, I saw this lady in an old hand-made metal wheel chair struggling to pull herself up the hill.  I stopped, and with Bro. Monday translating in Luganda, we asked the lady if we could take her home.  She gladly accepted and we lifted her into our truck.

I can’t begin to describe the roads, but I drove her home at least 10 miles from where I picked her up.  We helped her into her home and met her sister who was scooting around on the floor because she needed a wheel chair too, but didn’t have one.  These two women were also taking care of their brother’s 4 year old child. 

My attitude changed.  In my narrow window of “download” frustrations I was reminded of the real life suffering issues that is dealt with on a moment by moment basis, day in and day out.  We told these women that we would be back to visit them, and they were gracious, and grateful, but probably thought they would never see us again.

Our Humanitarian Missionaries Elder and Sister Beckle have a wheel chair project once a year.  Of course, this is a sought after project but the needs for both these women were desperate.  I called Elder & Sister Beckle and explained the situation and requested the proper forms needed to pursue this.  They explained the time frame and the availability, both of which were very discouraging.  

I came home and told Diane what had happened, and we decided to take some food, water, candles and matches to them the following Saturday. 

The next day, Elder Beckle called me and told me that he had gone over to the hospital that works with them on the wheelchair project and they found two new wheelchairs left over from last year.  They didn’t even know they had them but would send someone down to Masaka to measure both these women so their new wheelchairs fit them properly!  Of course again, it’s a testament to the love that the Lord has for his children.  I am just so humbled, so grateful.

Today, Diane and I went with the Elders & Bro. Yasin, (who translated for us.)  with the food, water etc.  These two sisters were thrilled that we had returned, and just as we were being seated, another woman on a crutch came to the door.  She was a neighbor and wanted to see and hear what was going on.  They insisted that Diane and I sit in the two chairs they owned and the other seven sprawled out on the dirt floor and the missionaries began teaching a lesson.  The neighbor could read, and speak some English, but her eyes were bad and so she couldn’t read the small writing in the Book of Mormon.  I handed her my reading glasses and asked if these made a difference.  She immediately began reading and became overjoyed!    We worked it out that between missionary visits; this neighbor would read the Book of Mormon and translate to the best of her understanding the meanings to the other sisters. 

One miracle after another!  I gave her the glasses and we left with an invitation for the next lesson.

I am so grateful for these humbling experiences but ashamed I had to be prompted because of my impatient attitude. I am reminded of one of my favorite scriptures;    

Mosiah 3:19

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Elder Crayk

Living in "Thanksgiving Daily"

Masaka is a beautiful lush farming community.   We are almost right on the equator, and so far our weather has been wonderful, not too hot.  We are so THANKFUL for this because we know how hot it can get in other parts of the mission.  We are THANKFUL that we have this marvelous opportunity in our lives to serve here in Africa.

 In Alma 34:38 he teaches us to live in “Thanksgiving Daily”.  He says, “That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye may live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."

Isn’t that a wonderful thought to live in Thanksgiving Daily?  Can you imagine how all our lives would improve if we lived in Thanksgiving daily?

President Joseph F. Smith proclaimed:  “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil.  Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. 

We are so very thankful for this exciting opportunity to serve the Lord, and pray each day for all our valiant missionaries serving throughout the world, and especially here in Africa.  May God bless each and every one of you with continued good health, strength and endurance as you are lead to those who are waiting for the Lord’s message, so they too can find the joy this life offers with the gospel, and have the chance to live in Thanksgiving daily.

Our love and best wishes to you all!    Elder and Sister Crayk

Our African Members Everyday Life

We have two families in our Masaka Branch.  One family, Santos and Christine have three children.  Two are in Primary with me.  The smallest is walking but since we don’t have a nursery yet, he stays with his parents during the Sunday meetings.  Brother Santos is the Executive Secretary for the Branch. 

I think he is about 30, his wife maybe 25, both are small people.   Santos is educated, can read and write and speaks Swahili and Luganda and English (out of necessity).  He is a proud man, faithful, and takes his calling very seriously, but he is used to the Pentecostal preaching, so he tends to do the same when he teaches.  (Something Elder Crayk is working on, and on, and on!)   Christine is quite shy, and stays only for Sacrament then takes the baby home.   His 6 yr. old daughter Kweera caught my eye the first day I saw her, she is darling, quiet, and eager to learn.  Her 4 yr. old brother Buk (Book) is the most mischievous one I have in the class.  He is darling, but I can’t keep him out of the bathroom (flush toilet, etc.)  When the family arrives, they are all dressed very nicely.  Santos always has on a three piece suit.    I have just always assumed that they have more than most others at church.

Last night after scripture study, we asked Santos if we could take him home.  (No one owns a car; they walk, or use the boda boda’s (sm. motorcycles) they hire like taxis.   He accepted (gladly) and began to show us the way.  After we drove a few miles, we turned off and wound our way, back into this little village area to his house.  It is pitch black.  The entire area has no electricity, no running water.  And everyone is outside and on the streets because it’s brighter there than inside anyone’s house.  The houses are attached cement storage units, each 10’ X 10’ room.  Most don’t have doors, just a cloth covering the opening.  No windows, it is seriously a small storage unit, but they are not built as storage units, they are built as houses.   No bathrooms, they use the outdoors.  No kitchen, they all cook outside on small wood fires.  They had two white plastic chairs.   Everything they own is stacked against one wall, then cover neatly.  There was a grass mat right on the cement that the entire family of 5 sleeps on.  It was no larger than 6’ long and 3’ wide. 

When we got there, Buk was butt naked outside just going to take a bath in a dish pan (in the dirt).   It’s Christine’s job to carry the water back from wherever, in 5 gallon Geri cans for everything they use it for, every day.  As we visited, the children just played (happily) on the small cement floor.  Kweera and her friend came into the house and greeted us formally, (by kneeling and bowing), this is the way all children are taught as to respect their elders.   I doubt very few Muzungos had ever been in this area, because we seemed to surprise everyone around.  

When we were leaving, Santos invited us back to have dinner another time.  He said that he would cook us matooke (boiled bananas, used like our mashed potatoes would be) and mushrooms that he grows. 

Obviously, this was a very, very humbling experience for us both.   Keith and I keep asking ourselves how come, we were so blessed to be born in America AND born into our church!

All this time, I thought Santos and his family were some of the more fortunate members.   Well, come to find out, they are.   Christine doesn’t have to walk 5 miles to retrieve their water every day, and Santos has a security job at the hospital, which means he probably gets paid $200,000. Shillings a month, which is less than $100.00.  The Santos family is happy and feels so blessed that the Elders came to their house and taught them the gospel, and that they were able to be baptized, and now they are working toward going to the temple to be sealed. 

We haven’t had General Conference yet, it’s this Sat. and Sunday for us (the DVD’s just arrived from America & we drove to Kampala to pick them up) so, I can’t wait for them to hear about the new program just announced, that the church will finance a onetime trip to a temple.  I know it will be the ultimate experience of their lifetime.  I hope we can be there with them; it would truly be a blessed experience in our lifetime too.